Account Executive

HDJ + Associates; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

HDJ + Associates in Pittsburgh, PA is seeking its first dedicated Account Executive to close 10-13 new customers in 2026 and lay the foundation for scalable growth. This is a true sales hunter role, hybrid work from Pittsburgh, collaborating with the CEO/Director of Business Development and shadowing a Public Sector AE.

You will own full-cycle sales from cold outreach to close for deals averaging $75K ACV, targeting public utilities and private manufacturing sectors, building outbound processes,

Job description

Our client is looking to hire their first dedicated Account Executive to help close 10-13 new customers in 2026 and build the foundation for sustainable growth.

This is a hybrid position based out of Pittbsurgh, PA. This isn't an order-taker role—you'll be a true sales hunter who can generate pipeline from scratch and close complex, multi-stakeholder deals. You'll work alongside the CEO/Director of Business Development and collaborate with the transitional Public Sector AE while building systematic outbound processes that scale.

The First 90 Days: Pipeline Generation Sprint This role starts with high-volume prospecting. Here's what success looks like:

Days 1-30: Learn product, shadow discovery calls with Becky, begin working our 77-target public sector list (25-30 touches/day).

Days 31-60: Lead discovery calls, close first deal, build private sector target list (75-100 companies), refine messaging based on market feedback.

Days 61-90: Full pipeline ownership, documented sales process, transition to strategic deal focus.

If you can't generate your own pipeline through cold outreach, this role won't work. If you thrive on building something from nothing—keep reading.

Core Responsibilities

Full-Cycle Sales Ownership (Both Public & Private Sectors)

Own the complete sales cycle from cold outreach through close for deals averaging $75K ACV.

Work both public sector (utilities, municipalities) and private sector (manufacturing, industrial, energy) opportunities.

Collaborate with Public Sector AE by shadowing her booked discovery calls and helping close deals.

Partner with CEO on larger/strategic deals (>$100K ACV) requiring executive involvement.

Navigate multi-stakeholder buying committees (Capital Projects Directors, Utilities Directors, Engineering Managers, CFOs).

Pipeline Generation & Prospecting (First 90 Days Heavy Focus)

• Execute systematic outbound campaigns: 25-30 strategic touches per day (calls, emails, LinkedIn)
• Work prepared target lists for public sector (77 researched prospects ready to contact)
• Build and validate private sector target list (75-100 manufacturing/industrial companies with significant CapEx budgets)
• Leverage webinar attendees, content downloads, and inbound leads (currently not being systematically contacted)
• Achieve target metrics: 30-40 discovery calls, 15-20 qualified opportunities

Sales Process Development

Document what works: effective messaging, objection handling, competitive positioning, buying process insights.

Work with our Marketing Operations hire to create sales enablement materials (one-pagers, case studies, ROI calculators, battlecards).

Help 'productize' our sales process—make it systematic and repeatable for future hires.

Build discovery call frameworks, demo flows, and qualification criteria based on actual deal experience.

Annual Performance Targets

Close 10-13 new customers in 2026 (approximately $300-375K new ARR).

Maintain average deal size of $75K+.

Generate 15-20 qualified opportunities per quarter through self-sourced outbound.

Achieve 30%+ opportunity-to-close conversion rate.

Requirements

Required Experience & Track Record

3-5 years direct B2B SaaS sales experience (not channel sales, not inside sales support).

Proven quota attainment: 100%+ of quota last 2 years (you'll need to provide specific numbers).

Demonstrated ability to source deals from cold outreach: provide 3 examples of deals you personally prospected from cold contact to close.

Average deal size $50K+ ACV in previous role(s).

Complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles (6-12 months, 5+ decision-makers).

Consultative selling approach (discovery-driven, value-based, not feature-dumping).

Required Skills & Competencies

Hunter mentality: You create opportunities, not wait for them.

High-volume prospecting capability: Comfortable making 25-30 quality touches per day.

Technical aptitude: Can learn complex software quickly and establish credibility with engineering/technical buyers.

Process builder: Comfortable documenting what you learn to create repeatable systems.

Startup mentality: Thrive in ambiguity, wear multiple hats, don't need perfect infrastructure.

CRM discipline: HubSpot experience preferred, meticulous pipeline management.

Strong demo and presentation skills for technical products.

Excellent written and verbal communication with executive-level buyers.

Highly Preferred (Not Required)

• Construction, engineering, or AEC (Architecture/Engineering/Construction) industry experience
• Project management or portfolio management software sales background
• Public sector sales experience (utilities, municipalities, government procurement processes)
• Industrial/manufacturing vertical experience (steel, automotive, chemical, energy)
• Experience selling to Capital Projects Directors, Portfolio Managers, or similar buyer personas

What Disqualifies You

• You've primarily worked channel sales or partner-generated leads (not true cold prospecting)
• You can't provide specific quota attainment numbers for the last 2 years
• You've never sourced and closed a deal entirely from your own cold outreach
• You're uncomfortable with high-volume daily prospecting activities
• You expect fully built-out target lists and marketing-generated leads handed to you
• Your typical deal size has been <$40K ACV

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to:

• Travel up to 5-10% to sites beyond the home office for company meetings.
• Perform light work – exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• See, hear, talk, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity and visual acuity; kneel, sit, stand, walk, crouch, stoop, reach, pull, push, or other similar, repetitive tasks requiring physical activity.
• Operate standard office/computer equipment.

You’ll be employee #1 in our sales organization beyond the founder.

What you build in the first 90 days becomes the playbook for future hires. You'll have direct input into target market selection, messaging strategy, and sales process design.

If you're successful, you'll help us hire and mentor the next 2-3 AEs as we scale to $9M ARR in 2028. This isn't just a sales job—it's a chance to build the revenue engine for a growing company.